UBEC releases N44.24bn to Kaduna, Ondo, nine others

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has released a substantial N44.24 billion in matching grants to eleven states, a move designed to bolster infrastructure development for basic education across Nigeria. This disbursement, covering various quarters of 2024 and 2025, targets states including Jigawa, Ondo, Taraba, Kogi, Kaduna, Plateau, Osun, Zamfara, Bauchi, Sokoto, and Enugu, signaling a continued federal commitment to enhancing educational facilities.

“

The matching grant is aimed at supporting every state and the Federal Capital Territory on an equal basis to provide much-needed infrastructure for UBE implementation.

The matching grant system, a cornerstone of UBEC's funding model, operates on a principle of shared responsibility. States are required to contribute at least 50 percent of the project cost as a counterpart fund to access these federal allocations. This mechanism is intended to ensure state-level buy-in and commitment to the Universal Basic Education (UBE) program. However, the effectiveness of this system is frequently hampered by states' failure to utilize allocated funds, a persistent issue that has drawn criticism from UBEC.

“

To access or draw down the matching grant allocation, every state and the FCT is required to provide an equal amount as counterpart fund contribution, in compliance with Section 11(2) of the Universal Basic Education Commission Act, 2004.

From a Nigerian perspective, the disbursement of these funds is a critical step, but the persistent problem of unutilized funds remains a significant concern. UBEC's repeated laments, including the revelation that N250 billion remained unutilized by states last year, highlight a systemic challenge. While the federal government provides the resources, the bottleneck often lies in state-level implementation and fund management. This situation not only delays much-needed educational infrastructure development but also represents a missed opportunity to improve learning environments for millions of Nigerian children. The effective deployment and utilization of these grants are paramount for realizing the goals of universal basic education.

“

UBEC has consistently decried that funds disbursed to state governments are retained and unutilised in the coffers of the 36 State Universal Basic Education Boards and the Federal Capital Territory.